Disclaimer: The Power Rangers are the property of Saban Entertainment and I lay no claim to them. The character of Mackenzie Dekalb is property of Karilee who can be contacted at kajwr@twcny.rr.com. The character of Cassandra Jensen(the Emerald Ranger) belongs to Helen who can be contacted at helen0724@yahoo.com. Morgan St. Clair is the property of Cynthia Harrell and can be contacted at cynthia~ harrell@yahoo.com. Q is property of Paramount Pictures and Evil Q is a character in Adam Safran's upcoming story Q-Counterstrike. Jeffrey Kincaid, Lord Stygian, and all other characters relating to them are mine. Should anyone wish to use my characters contact me at foi72@yahoo.com.
Blood on the Cometblade
by John Chubb
Morgan St. Clair faced Kincaid who kept his blaster steady between her eyes. To her credit, Morgan didn't flinch or show the slightest sign of fear. In fact, part of her was hoping Kincaid would pull the trigger. That way she wouldn't have to live with being a tool for evil monarchs like Stygian and Havok anymore.
Kincaid however looked at Morgan as if evaluating her. "So you're the one the book of Zordon told me about. The force for good subverted for evil's use."
If Morgan was surprised by Kincaid's statement she didn't show it. Rather she just nodded confirming his statement. Kincaid then waved the gun at her and said "Back away from Mackenzie now."
Morgan did what Kincaid said but the two never took their eyes off one another as if one was expecting the other to make a move. Morgan's eyes were kept steady on Kincaid. "I wish I had another option, but I don't. I have to send all of you to Lord Stygian or he will destroy me as well as my partner."
"Who's your partner?", Kincaid asked. A roaring engine was his answer as White Comet came swooping down from the sky towards Kincaid. Kincaid used his fast reflexes to get out of the way and Morgan ducked to the other side.
Morgan are you all right?, Comet telepathically asked with concern as he landed.
I'm okay Comet. Now let's get out of here, Morgan raced towards Comet when a blaster shot cut between them. Kincaid stood again with his blaster aimed at Morgan.
Comet veered around the clearing made by Mackenzie's shockwave backlash and made ready to charge Kincaid again when he drew his blaster again. When Comet charged at the unmorphed Red Night Ranger. Kincaid fired his gun blowing out one of Comet's tires. White Comet then skidded and flipped over at least four times before finally landing on his side due to Comet's underside hitting a tree.
"COMET!!!", Morgan cried as she rushed to the side of her battered zord. There were dents all over him as well as dirt from where Comet hit the ground as he was rolling. His hood was also mishapen and his front fender was loose on the left side. Comet are you okay?, Morgan asked telepathically.
Comet spoke but we was weak from the constant flipping. I'll live Morgan, but you know what you have to do.
Morgan nodded and turned to face Kincaid. The look on her face was one of 'Oh you're going to get it now'. Kincaid brought up the Red Night Ranger morpher on his left arm.
Morgan drew out her Turbo Key and Turbo morpher. "SHIFT INTO TURBO!!!WHITE COMET TURBO POWER!!!", and Morgan was once again morphed into the White Turbo Ranger
"RED NIGHT RANGER ACTIVATE!!!", Kincaid said as he morphed into his Night Ranger costume.
As the two rangers faced each other Mackenzie was slowly regaining consciousness when her eyes fell upon the two rangers ready to fight. Especially Kincaid.
He hasn't done any of the changes yet., she thought. Should I be sad or glad for that?
Mackenzie didn't know since she fell back into unconsciousness.
In the chamber of Lord Stygian the evil warriors returned from their mission and kneeled before their master. "My lord.", the Power Broker said raising the flask of magic water. "We have returned with a means to your freedom."
Epyon however had a wandering eye, and that eye fell on a suspended Cassandra hanging from the wall spread out like a crucifiction. "Well, well, well Emerald Ranger. It seems you're my prisoner again."
Cassandra looked at the rat creature and got a sense of familiarity from it. Then it hit her who it was. "Epyon.", she said through clenched teeth with no attempt made to hide her distust of the monster.
"I trust you are enjoying your handywork.", Epyon said making reference to his rat creature transformation. "Because you are about to get a dose of your own medicine." And with that Epyon raised his matter converter at Cassandra.
Adam stood shaking the bonds as if he was ready to rip them out and go after Epyon. "Awww did I threaten you're girlfriend?", Epyon stood there gloating.
"If you do anything to hurt Cassandra I swear I will make you wish you were never born.", Adam promised. Epyon just had a look of amusement across his face.
"Epyon desist.", Stygian's voice roared throughout the chamber. "For now these people are our guests. Let them be treated as such until the last two Nightfighters are captured. Then you can have fun with all the girls."
Andros tried to charge at Stygian and Epyon but the bonds held him back. "I won't let you get Ashley!!!", Andros said defiantly. With that Fury turned and looked at Andros and Ashley bound next to each other. Both of them were taken aback by her resemblance to Ashley.
"Who are you?", Ashley asked her look alike.
Fury turned to look at Ashley and gave her a slap across the face. "After all these years is that all you have to say to me? Don't you know the hell you left me in?" Tears started to form down Alison "Fury" Hammond's face but she was not about to let the captives or her partners see her 'moment of weakness', so she turned and wiped the tears away before she turned to Stygian.
"Come Fury, we'll worry about the captives later. For now…", the flask in the Power Broker's hand flew towards Stygian and opened. His mask then turned up and the magical water entered his mouth. When the last drop was gone an energy wave ripped through Stygian's body illuminating all around his chamber. When the light died down Stygian stood up out of his chair for the first time in thousands of years. The villians clapped in delight.
Stygian's muscles were still stiff and he moved around the room trying to get a feel for them. When he was finished he raised his arms in triumph and said. "FREE!!!I AM FREE AT LAST!!!"
The Nightfighters and Andros looked on as Stygian proclaimed his freedom. Looks of fear and concern etched on them. Stygian cast a glance to his guests and smiled beneath his helmet.
"I'll bet you're wondering where your friends are. Let's find out." Stygian then raised his arms and a visual formed before the captives and the villians. On the visual were Morgan and Kincaid, morphed and ready to fight.
"What is that Ranger doing?", Imperator Harper asked. "She can't fight Kincaid. It's my job to fight and defeat him."
"Patience Harper. Look and learn.", Stygian said still standing. After sitting in a chair he wanted to enjoy standing up for as long as his body could allow.
But Harper still didn't want Morgan to beat Kincaid. It's my destiny to defeat him, he thought.
Morgan and Kincaid stood facing each other waiting for the other to make the first move. Tired of waiting Morgan got into a fighting stance with Kincaid getting into a defensive stance.
The two combatants edged toward each other and Kincaid made the first move with a front leg side kick which Morgan dodged then she threw a side kick of her own which Kincaid evaded. They soon began to trade blows, blocks and kicks with neither one gaining advantage over the other.
Soon they tried to out shoot each other as they tried to use shootfighting in their moves. The two combatants went all out with their blows. Style and technique went out the window as one sought to punish the other.
Then they went for the submissions. Morgan tried an armbar takedown but couldn't get the hold secure since Kincaidused his raw strength to kick out. Morgan turned her body around and kicked Kincaid in the family jewels to avoid the anklelock submission again.
Kincaid learned the hard way that Morgan was a quick study and he soon regretted letting her train in his gym because she became so good so quick.
But that didn't mean Morgan wasn't having similar problems. For apparently she didn't learn all of Kincaid's secrets in shootfighting and he countered every move she had. Morgan then decided that it was time to change tactics.
"COMETBLADE!!", she called and her personal weapon appeared. I hope he doesn't know much about sword fighting.
"SABER STAFF!!", Kincaid called out. In all the viewings Morgan saw she had never known him to call for any personal weapons other than a blaster, his zord, or his Night Ranger armor. I didn't know he had his own weapon.
Soon a leather covered piece of rod appeared in Kincaid's hand. A rod that had two long sword blades protrude from it emitting some form of energy.
I think I'm in trouble!, Morgan thought.
"Whoa, I didn't know he had that.", Epyon said as he watched Kincaid unveil his Saber staff in the fight.
"Our red Night Ranger seems to be full of surprises it seems.", Stygian said. "But they won't help him now, not if our White Ranger knows what's good for her."
Harper however turned away from the fight. He did not like it that it was Morgan who was fighting Kincaid and not him. If she defeats him I'll make her pay. he mentally cursed.
Just then his eyes cast down on a device next to Stygian's throne. It was the implant comtroller for Morgan and White Comet that Stygian had Epyon constructed as an emergency measure in case something happened to him. Then one of the underlings would make sure that they would use Morgan as a means to avenge him.
Harper had an evil look in his eye as he picked up the device while no one was looking and teleported out of the chamber.
Morgan looked at the weapon Kincaid possessed. One of the things she did first when arriving in Kincaid's universe was rent the Phantom Menace as well as the second Star Wars movie. She wanted to be one up on T.J. when it came to Star Wars trivia once she got back home, but when she saw Kincaid's weapon Morgan was reminded of the double ended light saber that Darth Maul had in the movie.
I hope he isn't as good with that thing as Maul was in the movie, Morgan thought and she brought in her Cometblade down for a strike which Kincaid blocked, then the two rangers immersed themselves in a clash of weapons reminiscent of the duel Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul had in Phantom Menace.
Sure enough Morgan was the superior fighter with her sword as she soon had the upper hand and drove Kincaid back. However Kincaid was one of the dirty pool players when he was backed against the wall. So he brought his saber staff up and launched a good clean strike across her chest and throat sending her sprawling back.
Her ranger suit protected her and the Cometblade was close by. Kincaid stood looking down at her. "You don't have to do this Morgan. Take control of your life. Don't let the evil bastards who control you win."
Morgan then felt a wave of depression roll through her as memories came to the surface not sure why they were coming to the fore now, and not caring either. Memories when Divatox and Havok implanted her with the pain and pleasure implant when they chose her to be the White Turbo to take out the Power Rangers. Their sneering faces when they saw her as their 'property' and a weapon to be used at their disposal. Their delight at forcing her to kill Carlos because she loved him and the wave of pain that ripped through her when she wouldn't. How General Havok destroyed the blocker that kept the implant from functioning bringing her back under Havok's control and the apparent delight the evil monster felt when he got his toy back. Being recruited by Stygian to be her interdimensional assassin to take out the rangers who stood in his way by placing not only her life but Comet's at risk with a circuit linker that would kill him if she defied Stygian.
Then the discoveries that she made after she arrived. Carlos finding another girl. And that her mother had miscarried her thereby not giving her the chance to live. All the hopelessness and despair hit the White Turbo Ranger all at one time as tears formed down her cheeks again that her helmet obscured. And the despair that she felt quickly turned to anger.
What would happen next Morgan would not completely remember since she acted on impulse. But from the depths of her soul came a shout of "NNNOOOOOOO!!!!", and Kincaid watched as she picked up the Cometblade again and lunged for Kincaid. The Cometblade glowing with a bright White light.
Kincaid got of two good blocks but the despair of Morgan was too much for him to handle and the final shot she took sliced right through the hilt of his saber staff and sliced right through his helmet down from the right side of his forehead across his left eye and down his left cheek. The cut stopped to the scowl on his mask.
Morgan stood over Kincaid with her blade at his throat when an intense jolt of pain shot through her whole body. Another deafening scream roared through her and brought her down to her knees.
When the pain subsided Morgan turned behind her and saw Imperator Robert Harper standing near a tree. A pain device in his hand and a neutral expression on his face. "Are you satisfied? Turn and look at your handiwork.", he said.
Morgan turned and looked at Kincaid and it was then she saw the damage she had done. The Cometblade sliced right through the helmet revealing the flesh beneath and blood emerging from the cut. The eye was shut but there was blood protruding from the eyelid. She looked down at her own Cometblade and saw blood along the edge. Kincaid's blood. Oh my god. I did this., she thought backing away from Kincaid and dropping the Cometblade. I did this.
"That should have been my handiwork. I was the one who should have sliced his face and sent him sprawling. But no you had to do it." Harper's tone lost all reason and she had turned up the pain inducer to full power. Morgan's scream sheared across the sky as night started to fall.
Just then a shot pierced across the sky knocking Harper back. He turned and saw Mackenzie standing back up morphed and ready for action.
"Drop the gadget Harper, nice and easy.", she said with her blade blaster leveled at the Imperator.
"Oh my dear Mackenzie. Why are you pointing that thing at me? Shouldn't you be pointing it at Morgan there. I mean she did slice up your boyfriend there.", Harper said. Mackenzie cast a glance at Kincaid's direction when Harper activated the pain implant again.
"Fight her Morgan. Subdue her and let's go.", Harper ordered. Morgan then turned to look at Harper. She realized Harper reminded her of General Havok. Harper took the same pleasure out of seeing people suffer as Havok did and loved toying with Morgan like Havok did and have her fighting the battles that the villians were too cowardly to fight.
It was then that Morgan realized that she had hit her boiling point with Harper and Stygian as well. Morgan then removed her helmet revealing her long flowing red hair and stern expression that still had some tears rolling down it.
"No!", Morgan said.
"What?", Harper retorted not believing his ears.
"You can use that pain device all you want. I'm through taking orders from you."
"Maybe you are but what about White Comet. Are you willing to sacrifice him too?" Comet then said through Morgan's mind. If sacrificing my life means ending your suffering here Morgan, I'd gladly do it., the sentient zord thought. Please Morgan. Defy him for me.
Morgan nodded. "Comet understands the risk. And he's willing to take it.", she then stood next to Mackenzie Dekalb. Sister of the White powers.
Harper however sneered. "Very well. Say bye bye." He then activated the implant hoping to hear the screams of Morgan across the sky again.
Nothing happened.
Harper then tried to activate the implant again.
Again nothing happened.
"I don't get it. Why isn't it working?", Harper said with anger in his voice. He then turned his head to see Kincaid standing with his hand raised as if calling something.
"Aura of the night. Protect this agent of good from evil's grip so she may smite down this pathetic creature.", Kincaid said. Morgan then turned to face Harper and smiled. She and Comet were finally free, and Harper got real nervous real fast. It was time to cut loose.
Mackenzie touched her shoulder. "Do you want some help with this?"
Morgan shook her head and said. "No, I've got a lot of frustrations to work out." Morgan could tell Mackenzie was smiling beneath her helmet and she let Morgan have her fun.
Harper tried to chock back his fear as he got into a fighting stance. Morgan then did the same, as well as imagine that Harper was Havok for added incentive. Harper then threw the first punch which Morgan dodged. Then she went on the offence and delivered three side kicks. Two to the stomach and one to Harper's head sanding him sprawling back.
Harper found himself holding his nose. Morgan stood and smiled at the injury she gave Harper. "Nice, can you say 'Ooh my nose', like Marcia Brady too?"
Harper started to lose his cool and screamed a battle cry as he lunged for Morgan in a fit of rage. Morgan promptly dodged and placed her boot on Harper's butt sending him sprawling into a tree. His face and father's inheritence didn't like the impact.
"Do you want some more because I can go all night.", Morgan said smiling.
Harper then let a sneer form across his face. "I'm sure you could Morgan. But remember, when the sun comes up you lose the protection that Kincaid offers you. You and your zord. Come sun up you will be ours again. And with that Harper teleported out.
Morgan stood triumphantly her smile spread from ear to ear. Mackenzie then came up and asked if Morgan was all right.
"Ever since arriving in this world, I don't recall ever feeling as good as I do now." Morgan then turned and saw Kincaid coming towards them. The slash across the helmet still evident and the blood still trickling down. Morgan's smile faded as she saw what she had done.
"Oh god I'm so sorry Kincaid.", Morgan said as she and Mackenzie rushed to his side.
"I'll be okay.", Kincaid stated. "The power is already working on my eye so the cut didn't do any permanent damage. I just need to get to Defiance's medical bay."
"Can you also bring Comet on board?", Morgan asked.
Kincaid nodded but Morgan went back to her zord as if looking for something on the underside. When she saw it she tried to remove it but found the chip Stygian placed on Comet was bonded to the zord.
Kincaid and Mackenzie looked on in confusion wondering what Morgan was trying to do. "My zord is sentient. They decided to threaten him with a device that would destroy him if he or I didn't obey."
Kincaid looked at the device on Comet's exposed underside with his good eye. "A negator chip. This would fry every circuit and program in the zord. And if your zord is as alive as you say it will kill him."
"Which is why I'm trying to get it off but it's stuck to him.", Morgan said as she struggled with the chip.
"Then you'd better tell your zord to brace himself then.", Mackenzie said as she drew out her blade blaster and put the blade away.
Morgan looked confused at what Mackenzie meant until she put the barrel of her weapon on the chip. Morgan had a look of fear and worry on her face as Mackenzie pulled the trigger.
The blast from the blade blaster sent Comet flipping again landing upside down on his roof like a turtle on his back.
I never thought I'd say 'Thank you for shooting me', but in this case Mackenzie I'd have to say 'Thank you for shooting me.' Mackenzie was shocked when she heard Comet's voice in her mind but Morgan smiled. "I told you he was sentient."
"Hardrive teleport us aboard.", Kincaid ordered. Soon Kincaid, Morgan, Mackenzie, Carlos, Kimberly and Comet both teleported onto Defiance.
Stygian was not happy with his Imperator. "YOU FOOL!!! YOU LET YOUR PERSONAL HATRED OF KINCAID BLIND YOU!!!NOW WE HAVE LOST OUR WHITE RANGER!!!"
Harper stood suspended in the air. His body howling with pain in his mind and body. Then with a wave of his arms threw Harper into the far wall using a telekinetic push.
Stygian stood over Harper seething. "If I didn't need you I'd kill you right now. But fortunately you will get a chance to fight Kincaid again."
"Huh, when?", Fury asked.
"You don't think the Red Night Ranger would leave his friends here do you? Morgan knows where we are. He'll use her to find them. And by then it will be too late." Stygian smiled at his last sentence then looked down at Harper.
"But at least you'll get yet another shot to defeat Kincaid." Harper looked up at his master and smiled.
And this time Kincaid will be defeated…by me., Harper thought.
On board Defiance Kincaid looked at himself in the mirror. The cut Morgan had given him had clotted and left him with a nasty scar that signified where the Cometblade came down. He also wore an eye patch over his left eye, but that was temporary since the power was already healing it and would be off in a day or so.
The power would not heal the scar however due to the eye having more priority than the face. Besides, he liked how the scar looked. It would help set the right image when the time came.
Kincaid also looked at the long brown hair streaming down from his head. A symbol of rebellion yes, but it was also a symbol of youth and innocence and while he was still young he saw too much evil in the universe to be considered innocent anymore.
He reached down for the laser clippers and began taking them to his long flocks of hair. Soon the sink started to fill with long brown locks.
Carlos and Kimberly also walked around the halls of Defiance. Carlos having a lot on his mind. That White Turbo Ranger spared me. She wanted me to not get involved in her battles. Why? What is it about her that would have her show favoritism to me?
Kimberly's voice soon shook Carlos out of his thoughts. "You're thinking about the White Turbo aren't you?"
Carlos smiled. "Am I that transparent?"
"Only to me.", Kim said as she wrapped her arms around his waist.
Carlos then took a deep breath. "Ever since the amusement park I've been thinking how much she has avoided fighting with me. I just wish I knew the reason why."
"Well why not ask her?", Kim spoke up. "She's here and you're here."
"Good point." Then both Carlos and Kimberly made their way to the repair bay but they took a wrong turn and found themselves in one of the storage bays of the massive carrierzord.
Inside were tarps. All were colored by a specific ranger color:Red, blue, black, yellow, pink, green, white, purple, silver and gold. Carlos and Kimberly made their way to the tarps of their respective color. Carlos pulled back the black tarp as Kim pulled back the pink one.
What were underneath were two Harley Davidson motorcycles. One in pink and the other in black. It was the safe bet that the other tarps also had a motorcycle underneath.
Kim turned to look at Carlos and asked, "What's Kincaid doing with these motorcycles?"
Carlos didn't know and shook his head.
Also on board the carrierzord Defiance Morgan looked down at her zord White Comet. He had wires inside him as something Mackenzie called a self-repair program was working on getting Comet up and running again. Repair drones were hammering out and pulling out the dents in Comet's chassis.
Mackenzie came up to Morgan and explained how the program worked. "The self repair programs are equipped on all our zords. They kind of work like the immune system does on the human body. It repairs circuitry and any other damage to the zord systems."
Morgan sighed grateful for all the help Mackenzie and Kincaid were providing, even though she tried to kidnap them to be sent to some monster sitting on a throne. She then turned to Mackenzie and asked "Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?"
"Why shouldn't I be?", was Mackenzie's answer.
"Well ever since I got into town you had some sort of dislike for me. Now you're being civil to me."
Mackenzie realized that too. Why was she being nice to her? Ever since Morgan stepped into the rink Mackenzie got some bad vibes from her. Now that Morgan was temporarily protected from Stygian's control and beat up Harper those bad vibes were gone.
"I dunno. Could it be because we're both White Rangers?", Mackenzie asked.
"Right on the money Mackenzie.", Kincaid said as he stood in the doorway. The eyepatch was on his left eye and the scar where Morgan cut him was still there. Also gone were the flocks of hair leaving a buzz cut stubble as a replacement for the long hair. The short hair also brought out the scar that went down Kincaid's face. Morgan looked at him and saw that he had looked almost exactly like she saw him in her dream. This is too spooky., Morgan thought.
Mackenzie rushed over to Kincaid's side and looked at the patch and scar. "Don't worry, thanks to the ranger healing I'll have this patch off in a day or so. The scar however I will have to keep. The powers weren't one for cosmetic surgery. As for the hair well I needed a new look anyway."
Mackenzie ran her fingers through Kincaid's stubble. "I kind of miss your hair.", she said.
"Don't worry I have what's cut in a baggie in the bathroom." Kincaid then decided to change the focus to the White Rangers.
"Now getting back to business, your feelings towards Morgan were a warning signal that a White Ranger was in the area and had hostile intent towards your fellow rangers. It was an early warning signal of sorts."
Mackenzie couldn't believe her ears. "Why didn't you tell me this?"
"I didn't find out about it until just now when I consulted the book of Zordon. It had a lot to say about White Ranger powers. They are very much unlike any of the other ranger powers…especially the red ones.
"What do you mean?", Morgan asked Kincaid.
"That would take too long to explain Morgan. But I think you have only scratched the surface on what you can do."
Carlos and Kimberly then appeared in the doorway as well. "Well with our friends captured what do we do now?", Carlos asked Kincaid. His eyes full of more questions than he let on. Kim's as well.
Morgan turned to Kincaid and said, "I'll help anyway I can. I put them in this mess, I have to get them out of it."
Kincaid thoought for a moment. "We need to go someplace to lick our wounds and where Morgan won't have to worry about the implant taking control of her again. We also need to organize our strategies and equipment for attacking this…Stygian." It wasn't long before Kincaid had a solution.
"There's only one place safe for us. Let's set course for Hades." As soon as the course was set Defiance lifted off to head for the planet of eternal night.